The thing that bothers me about Spygate is the fact that Goodell destroyed the tapes. Don't give us some bs about how it had no real effect or everyone does it if you're going to do that. Do I think Spygate caused us to lose to them in two AFC championships to the Patriots? No, I do not due to special teams playing a big role in the 2001 loss and a then inexperienced rookie QB due for his first bad game in 2004 but I do think it raises questions about the Pats and Belichick's legacy of the era.

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Cowher said that everyone tried to cheat, the difference (that he didnt mention) is the Pats did it "far" better and on a higher level than anyone else. No way the Pats win 41-27 over that yrs Steelers team, during a Steelers home game, without "un-divine" intervention.

yea and the loss pisses me off to, but there are other things to consider

1. They played each other once before that year - familiarity gives a team a chance to exploit weaknesses the second time around
2. Ben was a rookie QB on the big stage who won a lot of games before his first season was even up. His win streak would have eventually halted. Too bad it happened in the conference championship. It could have happened two weeks later in the SB though too.
3. No one wants to talk about the Steelers knowing what was going on in the middle of the game and trying to switch signals up - there was a point in the game where their defense was simply playing great defense on the road.

As far as I'm concerned, their arrogance has come back around and bit them 3 times already so I'm over it:
A. Super Bowl 42 loss/18 and oh so close but HAH!
B. Brady getting taken out in 2008
C. Super Bowl 46 loss to the same team

PLUS - no one is guaranteeing they are making it past this weekend. They might, but they're probably the weakest of the 4 teams left.

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Bottom line, they broke the rules and the evidence was destroyed. The fact that the evidence was thrown away should raise the brows of any real football fan.

Another thing, that tuck rule game is what started it all for them. Folks don't have disdain for the Pats just because. Most can see the blatant one sided calls that got (and still do most of the time) in those years they won the SB.

Keepin it real folks.

I'd like to add to this the fact that the tuck rule game happened in the January following 9/11, after which event the Patriots suddenly became "America's Team," for obvious reasons. But, then I saw the logo for that year's SB, which looked like:

Now tell me, what other team BESIDES the Patriots could've won that one, huh?

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The thing about spygate is this, (1) they were warned as well as every other team of the magnitude of taping other teams outside of designated areas, (2) they were turned in by a former assistant coach, who better than anyone knew the importance of said tapes, (3) if it was not important then why in heavens name continue to tape and risk being caught, and (4) Ben had 3 Interceptions as Teegree alluded to but if the tapes did give them an advantage could one or two of those turnovers been averted? Godell's way of handling the whole thing was so cloaked in secrecy that it has to make anyone with any common sense wonder. As to the Steelers doping in the 70's, then yes as far as I know we did. Difference was it was not illegal at the time and many others did as well. Just because Bill Cowher makes public an opinion does not mean he believes it, he knows where his paycheck comes from.

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I'd like to add to this the fact that the tuck rule game happened in the January following 9/11, after which event the Patriots suddenly became "America's Team," for obvious reasons. But, then I saw the logo for that year's SB, which looked like:

Now tell me, what other team BESIDES the Patriots could've won that one, huh?